Sorcerer's Ring on an ELF!

[hongman]

65BLM at the moment.

Been looking at the awesomeness of MAB+10 and I really want to get it, but so many people tell me its not worth it for Elvaan or Galka, becuase it so hard to get the latent active.

I would agree but +10 is a helluva lot of MAB...I want to at least get some solid numbers before dismissing it. Who knows, maybe it is largely mistaken, like the fact half my LS screamed that you need to be in Yellow HP which is, apparently, false.

So as an Elf, what gear do I need to knock off enough HP to activate latent?

I already have Zenith Legs and Head, Hands hopefully soon. Forget Body and Feet, we dont camp Kings.

I dont know how much base HP I'll have at 75...can someone let me know? Say BLM/RDM or /WHM.

In fact, although it would be even harder to activate at 65 (~950HP), can it be done by an Elf?

Thanks!

[Necropolis]

You'll have a hard time doing it at 65, but 75 it becomes easier. You won't need Zenith feet and body won't be required either. (Though you could probably hang out around king camps and ask for a rotting feet, not many people want them).

Often over looked is that convert HP to MP does not effect base HP values, allowing you to remain in the while while casting. You don't need to have yellow HP to work the latent.

Gear to collect would be:
Black Cotehardie : 25HP >> MP
Blue Cape +1: 20HP >> MP
Asklepios : 30HP >> MP
Astral Aspis : 25HP >> MP
Star Necklace: 15HP >> MP
Serket Ring : 50 HP >> MP
Ether ring: 30HP >> MP
Tiphia Sting: HP-25

If you have Yigit feet, then you can use Rostrums for the -30HP

Looking at a stat calculator you should have about 1059 HP @75. You'll need to get rid of 265 HP to activate the ring.

So you have:
Zenith legs: -50
Zenith head: -50
Zenith hands (soon): -50
Asklepios: -30
Astral Apis: -25
Black Cotehardie: -25
Ether ring: -30
Star Necklace: -15

That should put you 10hp below the threshold, and you'll be in white HP (avoiding blood aggro) due to zenith hands being on. All the gear I choose to activate it is fairly cheap or drops off NMs (easy drops too!). You could condense a few pieces into a serket ring if you want to spend the money on one or do the BCNM.

Looking at the stat calculator you should have 972 HP at 65, unless you'lre willing to spend a lot on gear (since zenith isn't available to you yet) I wouldn't bother with the ring yet. The ring is godly, but dangerous at the same time too. If you're soloing you might find it safer to keep the HP for a while long (even though 75% of your HP is more than a taru's anyways >.>;; ). But I would certainly urge you to get one once you're nearing 75 and start becoming DD extrodinaire in your endgame scene (or soloing back that buffer you lost being uber DD).

EDIT: did calculations with /rdm. Remember with /whm you get auto regen, so take off a little extra so it doesn't tick you up too much while casting. need to get rid of 261 HP as /whm

More EDIT: When ever you calculate this (in different equip swaps or whatever), just look at your HP (taking off any Convert HP to MP gear) and multiply by .25, round up, and that's how much HP you need to remove. Don't let people fool you into thinking that Elvaan's can't be exceptional BLMs. The best BLM I've ever met was Elvaan, and out damaged every taru I've seen. Of course he worked hard for his gear, and had to wait for some pieces, but he now has Novio, full Morrigans, full AF2+1, AF2 belt, full AF1+1, Full HQ staves, and just about anything else a BLM could want. You should hear how giddy he is on vent when we're in Aery on thundersday with double weather; I've yet to see another person break 3k nukes on Fafnir.

[hongman]

Thanks Necro!

One of our Taru BLM's recently got Zenith Legs to activate his Sorc Ring and he noticebly pulls LOADS more hate than before, even when he waits for the HP of the mob to go down a fair bit first - Iv stopped what Im doing just to watch what he does at times.

I wont bother with Sroc Ring till Zenith then - I just thought if I could 1 shot bats in Newton with the ring (unresisted leaves the bats at 12%) then it would be a way to speed up exp more.

Solo exp is getting so tiresomely slow ; ; I just hop on BLM once a day now and burn empress and warp out (doing Qiqirns). Trying to find another BLM to duo is like trying to find a COR to meripo with.

[Necropolis]

I did get rather bored with the Newton bats quickly as well, and it seems I killed Qiqrins for quite a while in those last levels as well. For me leveling BLM was more about variety than the actual exp/hr.

You might want to try out the goldfishes in sea, near the ramp. Your only aggro will come from the shark at the base of the ramp, and is easily avoided most times. They link, but the link won't attack unless you damage it of course, so don't worry about it. If you can get gravity to stick you're fairly safe, and you can open with gravity to make sure you won't get resisted.

Between Sea, Qiqrins, and the Newton bats I had enough variety to keep me interest to push through those tough levels. Once you're about 72 you can join the manaburn parties in Mount Z.

If there is a group of BLMs in your LS that regularly Merit or buffer in mount Z, you could go along with them. You'll suffer a slight penalty in exp, but much safer than soloing. Also gives you some practice coordinating with other BLMs that you'll use in Dyna and such.

Of course if you can find a fed up RDM tired of moans for refresh and haste, they make great duo partners as well.

One note on the ring; you'll find windower macros much more convient for the gear swaps, given the room you're alloted, but up to you how you do it. But now that FFXI has it's windowed mode, you can just alt-tab between chains and read forums and such. Just level it casually when you don't feel like doing much else.

[hongman]

The problem with Newton is the camp is a pain to get to (well, not THAT bad, but I dislike the zone anyway).

QQ's are good, safe, but I cant chain those. Boring if anything.

Now Sea huh? Not thougt of that...at 65? Hpmede's = Goldfish I'm guessing too lol.

I have 8/8 Enfeebling and HQ set of staves + Enfeebling Torque and AF Body which is just about as much +enfeeb as I can get at that level barring Earring (soon, soon!) and MCB.

How much HP do those have, did you need to Sleep mid fight (bearing in mind you are a taru...)? I'm going to try these next chance I get.

My LS doesnt manaburn for some reason. Duo maybe.

And yeah, I cant find an RDM/BRD/BLM at my level anytime I look. Or if I do, they arent interested. One time I found a BLM to duo with on QQ's and he was nuking in hMP gear (elf) and just swapped Staves, wearing shit like Seer's body and dual Astrals.......................

[Necropolis]

If I went unresisted on goldfish I could finish one off with about 200 mp left. Varies a little with conserve mp and such of course. They sleep/bind fairly easy, and you have the merits for it so you shouldn't have trouble. Also the zone is right behind you so easy to run away.

They trick to chaining is to get them to open thier mouth. Sometimes requires you to take a hit or two. Once I knew I wouldn't get resisted regularly, I'd open with a nuke >> stun >> gravity, then kite to the ramp. Nuke, Nuke >> bind at top of ramp. Run past (taking a hit) and usually the mouth is open. Here you unleash you're most powerful nuke and do the double damage. If you're low on HP you could even drain with the mouth open for a boost.

I'm not sure how you're getting to Newton camp, but I found it one of the easiest camps to get to. Tele-Dem >> zone to old town >> escape >> run south to the south entrance to Oldton and gamble with the Goblin NPC to win. Then pay 2k to warp to ENM entrance. From there zone out and invis/sneak to the camp.

[hongman]

Well that sounds promising, I'll definately give Goldfish a go next.

To be honest, I have only tried that camp twice, first time I forgot Firesand for the Furnace so it was a wasted trip. Second time I got boned with some unlucky deaths and I guess that's put me off that camp >.>

Thanks for the pro-tips, will let you know how I get on. How long is that sea camp good for?

[Necropolis]

You can exp in sea till the end of time. Was the premire blm spot before ToAU. Once fish die off in exp you can do sharks, Aern, flowers and grahs in the palace. Aerns are hit and miss if you pull a blm. Might want to start with silence on those. >.>;;

I'd say go to 70-72ish, then start going to mount z roaches and puddings. But Qiqrins in Nyzul are good around 70ish as well.

[Olorin401]

You can exp in sea till the end of time. Was the premire blm spot before ToAU. Once fish die off in exp you can do sharks, Aern, flowers and grahs in the palace. Aerns are hit and miss if you pull a blm. Might want to start with silence on those. >.>;;
I'd say go to 70-72ish, then start going to mount z roaches and puddings. But Qiqrins in Nyzul are good around 70ish as well.

Qiqirn RNG in Alzadaal are awesome exp from about 68 up.. I still take 'em out once in a while if I feel I need some almonds. I've been doing more soloing in sea lately though because I need the organs.

[hongman]

Yeah, no doubt Ill get a few exp and merits in Sea just from Organ farming -.-;;

Dark I have, just going to get Ice and Thunder me thinks for now.

[hongman]

Well, sorry for taking so long but I just got my internet back after moving house.

Tried Hpmedes, and although I didnt get resisted, it took ages to kill just one...

@ 65.

[Malacite]

Take a hit or so to get your HP down and sub SCH or RDM as opposed to WHM ?

[hongman]

Dont have SCH yet, but I did sub RDM.

Not sure where you are going with the HP thing? I havent got Sorc ring yet...

[hongman]

Well finally got a chance a duoing these with my duo partner (yessir duo from now till 75!) and it was a success. Got a fair few organs too.

Managed to chain 4 Hpmede a few times, chain 3 min though. One time we both got in a nuke on an open mouth, 1182 Bliz 3 and 1230 Thunder III, was lovin it :D

Tried a shark, managed to kill it, but expended both our MP pools, defineatly not chainable. 300 base exp though

[Neomage]

The secret to Hpemdes I use is opening with Gravity, followed by a tier III nuke. When they "aggro" they stay just out of attack range, so if you start running right after the spell goes off, they won't ever get a hit on you. Run up the ramp, and cast Bind. Keep your finger on the sleep macro and as soon as bind + gravity wears OR it's mouth opens, cast Sleep. If it's mouth is open, cast your strongest spell, if not gravity and Drain. Usually a tier III at start an two double-damage IV's(The mouth is on a timer, not based on how much damage it takes) kills one and I have about half a MP pool left.